characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz How to pronounce characterize (audio)
ˈka-rik-
characterized; characterizing
Synonyms of characterize

transitive verb

1
: to describe the character (see character entry 1 sense 1a) or quality of
characterizes him as ambitious
2
: to be a characteristic of : distinguish
an era characterized by greed

Synonyms of characterize

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Examples of characterize in a Sentence

How would you characterize the situation? I would characterize this as a positive change for our company. She had difficulty characterizing their relationship. His personality is hard to characterize. Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area. the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Nevada Independent previously reported on Thursday that the Nevada secretary of state’s office received the seven subpoenas, which the office characterized as being from the FBI. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 Latvia characterized the Leipzig attack in even stronger terms. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The trio of hurricanes represents a level of elevated activity consistent with El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 San Francisco is often characterized by its hype and unbridled enthusiasm around AI, but Frosst says there’s an openness to friendly debate in Toronto that feels unique. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for characterize

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of characterize was circa 1602

Rhymes for characterize

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Browse Nearby Words

characterization
characterize
characterless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

characterize

verb
char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈkar-ik-tə-ˌrīz How to pronounce characterize (audio)
characterized; characterizing
1
: to point out the character of an individual or group : describe
characterize him as ambitious
2
: to be characteristic of
tragic endings characterized her stories
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